Electricals group DSGi is to experiment with in-store cafes in partnership with coffee giant Starbucks.

Starbucks coffee shops will open in the retailer’s Currys megastore at Lakeside and the combined Currys and PC World megastore in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, this summer.

It is hoped the cafes will further enhance the shopper experience.

Megastores head of commercial Lee Thompson said customers are willing to drive “upwards of 90 minutes” to visit the shops and the cafes should appeal. He said: “These are the largest electricals stores in the UK and because of their scale and the shopping experience they offer, it is natural that customers are spending longer browsing and shopping.”

Plans for the cafes come as US rival Best Buy prepares to open its first big box store in the UK next month. Best Buy’s arrival is likely to intensify competition in the sector and “customer-centricity” will be a key battleground.

DSGi’s megastores are a central plank of chief executive John Browett’s transformation programme. The retailer has also begun offering free delivery from stores for customers willing to wait about a fortnight for their items.

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